Pressure Cooker Curried Chickpea stuffed Acorn Squash.

You know whats the fun part of using a pressure cooker? Everything is faster and energy efficient. As an Indian, I have my requisite set of stove top pressure cookers (read 4 or 5 per Indian household).

Pressure cookers have come a long way from the just the manual control and stove top, to highly programmable, safe, blue tooth controllable, electric, multi-functional, multi pressure Instant Pot!.Instant Pot is fast becoming a household name with innumerable options and ease. If you haven’t tried pressure cooking, let 2015 be the year to add that to the to do list!

Today, I cook up chickpeas and brown rice stew in a pressure cooker and also throw in the acorn squash in a steamer basket. So everything gets cooked up together and is ready in 25 minutes! The squash cooks up perfectly in the pressure cooker. No hours of baking needed. Stuff the squash with the cooked chickpea and brown rice stew and serve! One Pot meal with chickpeas, brown rice, greens and squash!

If using cooked chickpeas cook the stew for 12 to 14 minutes. You can also chop up the squash into chunks and cook with the stew.

The chickpeas need to be soaked because I am adjusting the cooking time depending on the squash and brown rice. If you use unsoaked chickpeas, the squash will become a mush in the 35 minute cooking time :).

I generally cook my beans and split peas in a Pressure cooker. It takes the guess work out of the time needed. Freshly cooked beans also produce less gas, if you know what I mean 🙂

Any of the split peas or chickpeas also do well in pressure cooker. Split peas are notorious for taking 3 to 4 times the cooking time mentioned for a saucepan, if they are old!

Method:
1. Soak the chickpeas overnight, soak the brown rice for atleast half an hour.
2. In a pressure cooker, add oil and heat over medium heat.
3. Add cumin seeds and cook until they change color and get fragrant. about a minute.
4. Add onions, garlic, ginger and chili and a good pinch of salt. Cook for 5 minutes or until translucent.
5. Add spices and mix well for a few seconds. Add tomato,lime juice, and greens, cook until the tomatoes are saucy. 4 to 5 minutes. Add a splash of water to deglaze if needed in between.Add in salt, cayenne, chickpeas, rice and 2 cups water. Mix well.
6. Depending on the size of the pressure cooker and squash, you can add one half or both halves of the squash to the cooker. Place squash in a steamer basket or steamer plate (or any kind of holder which has space to allow the steam to circulate) over the chickpea mixture. Close the lid and cook over medium high heat until the pressure is reached. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid, Carefully remove the steamer basket. Taste and adjust the chickpea rice stew. Taste and adjust salt and spice. Generously fill the squash with the chickpea rice mixture, garnish with cilantro and black pepper and serve.
Note: If the chickpeas are not cooked to preference. Cover the cooker and cook over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes.

To make in a saucepan: Follow instructions 1 through 5 in a saucepan to make the chickpea stew. Add another cup of water, Cover and cook until chickpeas and rice are cooked through. 35 to 40 minutes.
Bake the squash: Spray the squash halfs with oil. sprinkle with salt, pepper and garam masala and Bake at 400 degrees F for about an hour. Serve stuffed with chickpea stew.

Soak the chickpeas overnight, soak the brown rice for atleast half an hour(about the time needed to prep).

In a pressure cooker, add oil and heat over medium heat.

Add cumin seeds and cook until they change color and get fragrant. about a minute.

Add onions, garlic, ginger and chili and a good pinch of salt. Cook for 5 minutes or until translucent.

Add spices and mix well for a few seconds. Add tomato, lime juice, and greens, cook until the tomatoes are saucy. 4 to 5 minutes. Add a splash of water to deglaze if needed in between. Add in salt, cayenne, chickpeas, rice and 2 cups water. Mix well.

Depending on the size of the pressure cooker and squash, you can add one half or both halves of the squash to the cooker. Place squash in a steamer basket or steamer plate (or any kind of holder which has space to allow the steam to circulate) over the chickpea mixture. Close the lid and cook over medium high heat until the (high) pressure is reached. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid, Carefully remove the steamer basket. Taste and adjust the chickpea rice stew. Taste and adjust salt and spice. Generously fill the squash with the chickpea rice mixture, garnish with cilantro and black pepper and serve.

Note: If the chickpeas are not cooked to preference. Cover the cooker (dont lock the lid) and cook over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes.

Notes

To make in a saucepan: Follow instructions 1 through 5 in a saucepan to make the chickpea stew. Add another cup of water, Cover and cook until chickpeas and rice are cooked through. 35 to 40 minutes.Bake the squash: Spray the squash halfs with oil. sprinkle with salt, pepper and garam masala and Bake at 400 degrees F for about an hour. Serve stuffed with chickpea stew.

I have a very small pressure cooker that is adequate for a small batch of dal but couldn’t handle this recipe. Using the Instant Pot sounds very handy. I do not own a rice cooker nor a yogurt maker, so this one appliance woould be useful in my kitchen.

Have been drooling over the Instapot for quite a while. I really want a pressure cooker with a stainless steel insert as well as the yogurt function. I use my pressure cooker all the time but really need to replace it. This website always make me hungry – I just love the Indian spices. Pick me, pick me, pick me!!! 🙂

I have never used a pressure cooker, but I really want one! I mainly eat vegan food which means beans are a big part of my diet. I would love to be able to quickly cook dry beans and other foods that take a long time using other methods. My workdays including my commute are usually 10 – 12 hours, which means I need simple and quick recipes and devices. Also, Indian cuisine is my favorite and I would love to cook more regional dishes at home. A pressure cooker seems like the perfect fit for my life.

I am trying to find ways to make plant strong vegan fast food so I am not tempted to go astray! I joined an InstantPot group on FB and the recipes make me drool! I am very interested in your book, Richa and I’m dying to get an InstantPot!

I’ve been interested in this cooker ever since I read about it on the Healthy Librarian’s site — and I found out about Vegan Richa’s recipes there, too! I’ve been looking for a yogurt maker (to make yogurt making easier) and this is one of two finalists.

I am new to pressure cooker cooking, but I love it. I have been eating plant-based for a year and find the pressure cooker makes cooking grains and beans so easy. I love it and would love to win an Instant Pot.

I have a pressure cooker that I only use once in a while becuase I am always afraid to walk away from it until the process is complete. As I understand the Instant pot allows you to set it and not worry that the pressure remains stable. The yogurt making capability would be such a treat. How exciting it would be to be chosen!!
Thank you so much for sharing all of your DELICIOUS recipes. Two of our favorites so far are the buffalo chick pea pizza and the nacho mac and cheese!!

I had heard they were dangerous for years, and then I found out how far they have come, and what they are capable of doing. I have wanted one for a while now- I love the idea of being able to cook beans, or longer cooking veggies so quickly. This recipe looks sublime!

I use a stove top pressure cooker for cooking beans – no canned beans. I love it! But after regular use the steam release value is starting to rust. It’s not a top quality pressure cooker, but it gets the job done. I love the idea of the instant pot. I bet you could even make tempeh in it.

I do not use a pressure cooker, simply because I can’t afford any extras. I would love to try the Instant Pot, though, because after being diagnosed with a rare cranial nerve disorder three years ago, and undergoing numerous surgeries, including a failed brain surgery, it takes me a very long time to make dinner for my family. I love making healthy meals and snacks from scratch, but due to the pain, even a simple 30 minute prep dinner stretches into a three hour prep. The Instant Pot would be a huge help for me to cook dinner quickly without becoming exhausted. Thanks for sharing it, and hosting this giveaway!

I have an older pressure cooker that I preserve foods in. Would be super efficient to have an Instant Pot. To have all these appliances in one pot is the perfect addition to any super small kitchen, like I have.

I use a manual pressure cooker almost everyday for cooking – lentil curries, cooking lamb and beef stew, making tapioca desserts, rice pilafs, etc. It saves me so much time and helps my little one eat better as foods are soft and mushy 🙂

I’ve got an old school pressure cooker with the gurgles, rattles and whistle. I’ll use it for beans and occasionally rice. I should be more adventurous and a newer replacement with all those extra features would definitely help with that.

I wanted a light supper last night and had cooked chick peas in the freezer. The taste of this filling is addictive. I didn’t have squash, so just made dinner in a bowl. Delicious.
Your recipes are always tasty and nutritious. Keep going girl. Love your work.
Marie

Hi Richa- I love your blog. I am interested in a pressure cooker not for me, but for the love of my life! AJ loves to cook (he taught me about 85% of what I know about cooking!) but he recently started a new job working on a farm, and he has long hours and it’s hard physical work. He comes home so tired every day, but as we don’t live together and as I am a full-time student it’s hard for me to help him out! He’s started to cook less and less for dinner, which is sad because cooking is one of his passions. A pressure cooker would be a great thing to make his meals a little easier when he comes home and I think it would make transitioning to this new job considerably better! Thanks so much.

I have a stovetop pressure cooker but have only used it a couple times. With an Instantpot, I could set it and go walk my dog and dinner would be ready when I got home! I also can’t find any unsweetened vegan yogurt here and would love to make my own!

I’ve never used a pressure cooker but have wanted one for a long time. I love the idea of being able to pressure cook which results in better steamed food, and quicker! My other half pushes me not to purchase one as he feels it’s a waste of money as we can steam food without one and there’s no reason we can’t spend extra time waiting on our food to cook! He can’t say no if I happen to win one, RIGHT?!?!?

I use my electric multi-cooker almost daily. It is fabulous for cooking beans, soups, rice, beets, stock, and much much more. I couldn’t live without it now! I still have a traditional pressure cooker but rarely cook in it. I mostly use it to transport big soups or stews to potlucks.

I have been using an Instant Pot for over a year and I love it. My one big regret was not waiting to get the one with the yogurt function. If I win this, I will give the one I have to my daughter. Thanks for the giveaway!

This is a really unique recipe, and it all sounds so amazing! I LOOOVE winter squash. I have never used a pressure cooker before. I love trying new things, so it would be awesome to have one and use it. If I had all the money in the world, I’d buy every kitchen appliance I could imagine!

I used my electric pressure cooker so much that I loved it to death! The cords got so worn out that they pretty much pulled out of the base, causing sparks and threatening to start a fire when I turned it on. Now I need to replace it… And would sure love to upgrade to the Instant Pot. I’ve heard really good things about it all around.

I currently don’t use a pressure cooker. Cooking is a family affair in my household and some of our greatest memories are made in the kitchen. The only issue we have is how time consuming some recipes can be. We eat a lot of rice (the perfect side dish lol) which takes about 25-30 minutes and the waiting is no fun. I like that cooking with a pressure cooker saves time and maintains the quality of the food.

I currently don’t use a pressure cooker. Cooking is a family affair in my household and some of our greatest memories are made in the kitchen. The only issue we have is how time consuming some recipes can be. We eat a lot of rice (the perfect side dish lol) which takes about 25-30 minutes and the waiting is no fun. I like that cooking with a pressure cooker saves time and maintains the quality of the food. Lovely recipe by the way.

It’s been over 25 years since I’ve used a pressure cooker! I had the misfortune of it blowing up on me and my lovely kitchen turned into a bath of veggies and stew meat ( I wasn’t vegan at the time). I’m sure they are a lot safer now and would love to own one again.
Love your site & all the recipes I’ve tried have been so good! Keep up the great work.

I would love to own an Instant Pot for the convenience factor. I am a big fan of 30 minutes meals especially since don’t get home from work until after 6 p.m. and then have to provide dinner for my kids. The chickpea stuffed acorn squash looks delicious by the way.

I have an Instant Pot and use it several times a week, and I often honestly wish I had a second one so I could cook two things at once! Also, my Instant Pot doesn’t have the yogurt feature so I would really love to try that out.

I’ve never used a pressure cooker, but the idea of being able to cook dried beans more quickly than on the stovetop or in the crockpot is attractive. I think I would eat more legumes if they were not something that needed a half-a-day of lead time.

I do have a pressure cooker, but it is a disappointment. I researched before buying it and it was supposed to be good. It is not. It burns everything on the bottom and does not cook the rest of it even after cooking three times the recommended time.

I want a pressure cooker, but I am back to square one trying to find a good one.

what kind of stove do you have? Maybe the stove or the cooker is heating up too much? Steel or aluminium cookers heat up faster, so the recipes have to be adjusted accordingly (reduced heat cooking and for less time than stated).i havent had a burning problem in any of cookers unless i cook on higher heat and forget about it.

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